Google Analytics is one of the most widely used tools for understanding website performance. It collects data from user interactions and presents them through key metrics such as sessions, users, pageviews, bounce rate, and engagement signals.
When analysing sessions analytics data, most marketers assume a simple rule: a single user can generate multiple sessions, so the number of sessions should always be equal to or higher than the number of users.
However, many marketers encounter a confusing scenario where Google Analytics reports show higher users than sessions. At first glance, this seems impossible and often leads to concerns about tracking errors or data inaccuracies.
In reality, this behaviour is expected under certain reporting conditions. There is no error in your GA sessions data. The explanation lies in how Google Analytics attributes sessions, users, and dimensions across reports.
To understand why this happens, it’s important to first clarify how users and sessions are defined and counted.
What Are Users in Google Analytics?
Users represent the number of unique visitors who interact with your website within a selected date range. In Universal Analytics, users were tracked primarily through cookies. In GA4, users are identified through a combination of device IDs, user IDs, and signals.
When you view users vs new users Google Analytics data, you are seeing:
- Users: total unique visitors
- New users: first-time visitors during the selected period
However, user tracking has limitations.
Google Analytics can only recognise a user as the same individual if:
- Cookies are not deleted
- The user visits from the same device and browser
- Cross-device tracking is configured correctly
If a user deletes cookies, switches devices, or uses a different browser, they may be counted as multiple users. This is why google analytics total visits and user counts should always be interpreted directionally, not as exact headcounts.
New Users vs Returning Users
When a visitor lands on your site for the first time on a device, they are counted as a new user. Subsequent visits from the same device and browser are attributed to the same user, as long as cookies persist.
Returning users represent individuals who have visited before and are recognised by Google Analytics.
In GA4, this logic has evolved, but the principle remains similar. User identity is still probabilistic unless user ID tracking is implemented.
What Are Sessions in Google Analytics?
Sessions represent visits, not people. Every time a user engages with your website, a session begins.
A single user can generate multiple sessions. This is why total visits Google Analytics is often higher than user count.
A session ends when:
- There is 30 minutes of inactivity
- The session crosses midnight
- Campaign parameters change (in Universal Analytics)
This explains why new sessions Google Analytics data can appear inflated in certain reports.
In GA4, sessions are event-driven but still follow similar timeout rules.
User Session Pageviews and How Sessions Are Counted
Within each session, users generate pageviews. Metrics such as:
- User session pageviews
- Pages per session
- Views per session
help analysts understand depth of engagement.
However, sessions are always attributed to the first hit of the session, not every pageview that follows. This detail becomes crucial when analysing custom reports.
Why Does Google Analytics Show Higher Users Than Sessions?
Under standard reporting, sessions should not be lower than users. However, this changes when reports use specific dimensions.
The issue usually arises in custom reports or filtered views.
Scenario 1: Page-Level Dimensions Are Applied
If you apply page-level dimensions such as Page, Page Title, or Landing Page, Google Analytics attributes sessions only to the page where the session started.
Users, on the other hand, are counted on every page they visit.
This creates a mismatch.
Example
Two users generate two sessions:
Session 1
- Page A
- Page B
- Page A
Session 2
- Page C
- Page B
When viewing Page B with page-level dimensions:
- Users = 2
- Sessions = 0
This is because neither session started on Page B.
As a result, reports filtered by specific pages may show higher users than sessions, even though the overall totals are correct.
Scenario 2: Hour-Based Dimensions Are Applied
When using the Hour or Hour of Day dimension, sessions are recorded only in the hour they begin.
Users, however, are counted in every hour they are active.
For example:
- A session starts at 7:50 PM
- The user remains active until 8:15 PM
Analytics will show:
- 7 PM: 1 session, 1 user
- 8 PM: 0 sessions, 1 user
This is why hour-based reports frequently show more users than sessions.
Sessions, Users, and Shopify Analytics
On platforms like Shopify, similar logic applies. Shopify relies on analytics models aligned with Google Analytics, so discrepancies between sessions and users are common when analysing:
- Marketing reports
- Channel performance
- Attribution paths
Understanding what is considered a session in Google Analytics and Shopify helps prevent misinterpretation of performance data.
How to Interpret Session vs User Data Correctly
Instead of treating sessions and users as interchangeable metrics, use them for different insights:
- Users indicate reach
- Sessions indicate frequency
- Pageviews indicate engagement depth
Looking at these metrics together provides a more accurate picture of performance.
Wrapping It Up
When your analytics dashboard shows higher users than sessions, it is not an error. It is a result of how Google Analytics attributes sessions and users across dimensions such as pages and time.
Understanding how sessions analytics, users vs new users Google Analytics, and total visits Google Analytics behave in different reports allows marketers to analyse data with confidence instead of confusion.
At Lyxel&Flamingo, we regularly see this confusion surface during audits and reporting reviews. In most cases, the issue is not incorrect tracking but misinterpretation of how dimensions and metrics interact in GA and GA4. Clarifying these mechanics helps teams move beyond surface-level numbers and interpret behaviour more accurately.
Once you understand these mechanics, you can focus on optimisation instead of second-guessing your data.
FAQs
Q. What is a session in SEO, digital marketing, Google Analytics, and Shopify?
A. A session represents a visit that includes one or more interactions within a defined time window.
Q. How long is a session in Google Analytics and how is it counted?
A. A session lasts until 30 minutes of inactivity or until midnight or campaign changes occur.
Q. What is the difference between sessions, users, and pageviews in Google Analytics?
A. Users are unique visitors, sessions are visits, and pageviews are pages viewed within sessions.
Q. How to find sessions, new sessions, and unique users in Google Analytics and GA4?
A. These metrics are available in Acquisition and Engagement reports in GA4.
Q. What does total sessions, views per session, and pages per session mean in analytics?
A. They indicate visit frequency and engagement depth.
Q. What is considered a session in Google Analytics and Shopify?
A. A session includes all interactions within a visit before timeout.
Q. What is the difference between organic sessions and organic users?
A. Organic sessions are visits from search, while organic users are unique visitors from search.
Q. How to interpret session vs user data in Google Analytics?
A. Users reflect reach, sessions reflect engagement frequency.
Q. What does active users, new users, and user counts mean in Google Analytics?
A. They represent engagement status and audience growth.
Q. Which reports show the last page users viewed before leaving a website in Google Analytics?
A. Exit Pages and Path Exploration reports show where users exit.
